American Center Nairobi Program and Outreach Support | DOS NBO PAS FY19 007

Opportunity Information: Apply for DOS NBO PAS FY19 007

The American Center Nairobi Program and Outreach Support grant is a U.S. Department of State funding opportunity (U.S. Mission to Kenya) designed to strengthen the American Center Nairobi (ACN), an American Space located on the U.S. Embassy compound in Nairobi. American Spaces are meant to be welcoming, tech-forward places where local communities can engage with U.S. culture, values, and ideas through discussion, collaboration, and skills-building. In Kenya, there are five American Spaces in total, but this specific award focuses only on the American Center Nairobi and its role in public outreach, youth engagement, and programming that aligns with U.S. government foreign policy priority themes.

At its core, the grant funds operational program support rather than infrastructure. The selected recipient organization will provide and supervise a full-time, locally hired Program and Outreach Specialist who will work closely with the Embassy Public Affairs Section in Nairobi (PAS Nairobi). The goal is to expand ACN's capacity to deliver consistent, innovative programming that takes advantage of existing technology at the Center, draws in new audiences, and helps young people (especially ages 13 to 25) build practical knowledge and skills tied to education and employability. Programming is expected to be modern and hands-on, with examples mentioned such as audio, visual and graphic production, 3D design, robotics, coding and mentorship, prototype and innovation challenges, and activities for entrepreneurs, startups, and creative professionals.

The award is structured as a cooperative agreement, which signals that the Embassy will be actively involved in implementation rather than simply providing funding and reviewing reports. PAS Nairobi will help shape priorities and themes, provide the position description for the Program and Outreach Specialist, participate in recruitment and interviews, approve the final candidate(s), and offer guidance on key policy themes to be reflected in programming. In practice, this means the recipient organization and the Embassy are expected to operate as close partners, with staffing and program decisions made through ongoing consultation.

The recipient organization's responsibilities are concrete and recurring. First, it must hire the Program and Outreach Specialist and, if necessary, recruit additional staff. Second, it must develop and run ACN programs on a regular schedule, with programming expected weekly and supported by a monthly set of activities that is innovative and technology-forward. Third, it must actively market and promote ACN to target audiences to drive steady visitation and strong attendance. Fourth, it must provide monitoring and reporting, including weekly attendance updates and a monthly report on programs and outreach delivered to PAS Nairobi. Finally, because the Center sits on an Embassy compound, the recipient must comply with security requirements coordinated through the Regional Security Office (RSO), including submitting new hire information for vetting in a timely way.

A major component of the grant is the employment and compliance role the recipient must take on. The recipient organization serves as the legal employer of the locally hired specialist and is expected to use transparent, fair hiring practices that remain subject to Embassy review. The recipient must ensure employment agreements comply with Kenyan labor law, and it must correctly handle statutory deductions such as social security and taxes. The opportunity also makes clear that employment through a U.S. government partner does not exempt the employee from Kenyan taxes, and the U.S. government explicitly disclaims liability for the employee's benefits, welfare, or employment terms under the agreement with the recipient. It also notes that the employee does not gain U.S. government employment credit by working under this cooperative arrangement.

From an administrative standpoint, the opportunity is listed as discretionary funding under a cooperative agreement instrument, categorized under education activities (CFDA 19.441). The posted award ceiling is $40,000, with one expected award. The funding opportunity number is DOS NBO PAS FY19 007, and it was originally posted May 30, 2019 with an original closing date of June 30, 2019. Overall, the grant is essentially a staffing-and-program delivery support package to keep the American Center Nairobi running a steady pipeline of high-quality, youth-focused, tech-enabled public engagement programming, with close day-to-day coordination and oversight from the U.S. Embassy Public Affairs Section.

• The Department of State, U.S. Mission to Kenya in the education sector is offering a public funding opportunity titled "American Center Nairobi Program and Outreach Support" and is now available to receive applicants.
• Interested and eligible applicants and submit their applications by referencing the CFDA number(s): 19.441.
• This funding opportunity was created on May 30, 2019.
• Applicants must submit their applications by Jun 30, 2019. (Agency may still review applications by suitable applicants for the remaining/unused allocated funding in 2026.)
• Each selected applicant is eligible to receive up to $40,000.00 in funding.
• The number of recipients for this funding is limited to 1 candidate(s).
• Eligible applicants include: Others (see text field entitled Additional Information on Eligibility for clarification).

Apply for DOS NBO PAS FY19 007

[Watch] Creating a grant proposal using the step-by-step wizard inside the applicant portal: